I am looking for a new sail to use for more maneuver oriented windsurfing in higher winds (by lake-sailor standards). I would like to try some freestyle in low and high winds. Initially it would be used with my JP xcite-ride 145 and appropriate fin but I am thinking about getting a new smaller free move/freestyle board. I am planning to get a sail around 6.0 to 6.5M which would be my smallest modern sail. I have Ezzy lion 7.5 and 9.5 and an old 4.5M Gaastra slalom sail (no longer used). I weigh around 175lbs and am sailing on a smallish lake with gusty conditions. Sail would need to be suitable for freeriding as well. Thanks.

What wind are you looking to get planing in? You can go with anything but for light wind the gaastra pure has plenty of power. I'd use a 5.4 from 14-17knots on a 107 freestyle board and be fully planing. I try an do a little more wave sailing now, so I switched to the ezzy elite, but for you maybe a 5.7 pure would be good. I'm about 200lbs btw.

I'm not sure what's the best sail for you, however, I recommend the TABOU 3S board. It's a very good balanced board betwen the freestyle,freewave and freeride styles of windsurfing. I had the 97l 2009 model, and I enjoyed it very much.
I used the severne gator 6,5m2 2010 with this board, and after that, the severne S1 5,9m2 This sails are complety diferent. The first one to use the board as a freeride board (with 3 o 4 straps), and the second one, to use the board as a freewave board

I don't know. I rarely have opportunity to sail with other sailors and I don't have a wind gauge. To get planing probably 18+ with this sail (I have never used anything smaller than 6.6 with a short board though so I could be off). Pumping to plane on my ultrasonic this summer taught me a lot about technique and planing threshold.

There's a bazillion sail brands that would probably work great, but I'll give some advice on sails styles and sizes based on what you have now.

Size: You'll want this sail to overlap a little with the 7.5, but not too much. I think 6.5 would be too close, but 6.0 or 6.2 would be good. Smaller than 6.0 would be less practical

Cut: You'll want the cut (outline shape) of the sail to be like a wave or freestyle sail, with a "high foot" that's pretty much a straight line from the clew to the mast base. It will make it harder to "close the gap" when you're blasting, but it will give the sail a more maneuverable feel and will help with transitions and jumps and stuff.

Battens: Just one batten below the boom. 5 battens is typical for a wavesail, but you can find 6 batten wavesail / freeride sail combos like the Aerotech Phantom that would also be good for what you're looking for.

What Doug said. A 6.0/6.2 will take you to 25 kts average wind if necessary on a smaller board than your 145, so you'll have plenty of range as your skills advance. Yet a 6.2 camless like Doug describes will still maneuver far better than a 7.5.

A light-wind (i.e., non-planing) alternative would be using that 145 as a platform for light-air freestyle sail-handling practice with a cheap used 4-something sail. You don't need a hundred-dollar sail for that.

And don't feel any need to apologize for being lake-bound. Wind is wind; the difference is in the height of the water's surface. I've seen heartland lakes blow in the 90s, and that's mph, not degrees Fahrenheit, kph, or furlongs per fortnight.

first thing to sort out is IF your are indeed getting a smaller board, than everything changes..

unless you want to just play on the current JP , if you want a sail to go out on and do sail flips, and basically practice things, then IMO you want something that you can manage, that would not be something big.

suggestions about planing and this & that, apply if you are adding to your existing sail quiver but smaller size for more wind, different than my above then.

5.5 5.8 to play on the JP ( sail :a light lively maneuver oriented unit, not necessarily a freestyle one, but close)

could also be used on a smaller board._________________K4 fins
4Boards....May the fours be with you

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